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This U.S. debut from bestselling UK novelist Martina Cole delves into the seedy London underground as it relates the trials and tribulations of a gangster on the rise. With raw prose and sheer intensity in both its realism and theme, Cole's novel is a compelling story that presents its narrator with the challenge to perform it with the same power. Happily, narrator Nicola Duffett delivers a strong performance that is as compelling and layered as the work itself. Duffett is up to the task here, offering realistic characters that are hard-edged and so believable they're scary. Duffett's rough British dialect is perfectly suited to the story and never sounds forced or manufactured, even when portraying the toughest male characters. L.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]